


sounds funny but i'll say it anyway

by beforemidnight



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - High School, Best Friends, Coming of Age, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Graduation, Jung Yoonoh | Jaehyun-centric, Kinda, M/M, idk haha, lol, lots of filipino provincial high school life references
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-02
Updated: 2020-10-02
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:14:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,881
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26771251
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beforemidnight/pseuds/beforemidnight
Summary: Jaehyun is graduating in less than a month and before the big day arrives, he's determined to confess his feelings to his best friendOR: a day in the life of a graduating senior involving chicken porridges, missing cleaning materials, guitars, and hidden feelings.
Relationships: Jung Yoonoh | Jaehyun/Kim Dongyoung | Doyoung
Comments: 9
Kudos: 41





	sounds funny but i'll say it anyway

**Author's Note:**

> lots of filipino references. 
> 
> -pandesal: common filipino bread roll, usually consumed in the morning  
> -tita: aunt  
> -arroz caldo: porridge with chicken  
> -jeepney/jeep: uhm one of the most common means of public transportation in the ph  
> -turon: deep fried bananas inside a kind of pastry  
> -upcat: university of the Philippines college admissions test, ph's most coveted state/public uni ( i think ?)  
> -UP: university of the philippines  
> *ateneo and up (in this case, up diliman) are very near to each other.

Jaehyun is not a morning person. Even if he’s been waking up at 6:00 am in the morning for the majority of his life, he hasn’t really gotten around loving his alarm clock filling his room with jarring noise every 5:55 am. It’s not like he sleeps late, in fact, he’s already in bed before 11:30 pm. It’s just that, he’d rather wake up somewhere between 8:00 or 9:00 am. He thinks his situation is just inhumane. 

But today is a different story. Jaehyun wakes up before his 5:55 am alarm goes off ( _which is a first_ ). It’s still very much dark outside, and all he can hear is the chickens and dogs of his neighbors going about their business. He jumps off his bed and looks at the post-it note pinned on his corkboard. It reads:

**_3\. 22. 13_ **

**_Today’s the day._ **

Jaehyun is about to graduate high school in less than four weeks. It’s 6 am in the morning and Jaehyun reminds himself that today is the day that he’s going to confess to the president of their class.

“HYUNG!” His brother, Jisung, shouts to his room. Jaehyun blinks himself out of his stupor.

“Jisung-ah you’re too loud. What do you want?” 

“Mom wants you to buy Pandesal!”

“Why can’t you do it yourself?”

“I’m a baby!”

“No, you’re not! You’re 12, not 5!”

“It’s too dark! I don’t want to do it.”

“Alright, just please get out of my room,” Jaehyun settles. 

“Thanks, bro,” Jisung cheekily replies.

By 6:30, the sun gives the sky a shade of pale orange. Jaehyun tries to tame his hair and puts on a cap. The remnants of cold air is barely felt and the looming heat of summer is little by little knocking on his skin. He approaches the bakery and sees a (cute) familiar face. 

Jaehyun knocks on the glass where behind lies a nice assortment of bread and other baked pastries. He says, “Can I get 50 pesos worth of Pandesal on this beautiful morning, Mr. Class President?” 

Doyoung, in the middle of chewing his Ensaymada, looks at him dead in the eye.

“I haven’t had a sip of my coffee yet Jae.”

Jaehyun laughs, “Right. Good morning.”

Doyoung rolls his eyes but still smiles at the other. “Good morning to you too. 50 pesos? Your brother made you buy again?” 

“Yes and yes. He’s still a little scared of going out alone early in the morning. He argues it’s dark but we know the sun comes up at 6:00 am sharp.”

“That’s true. Maybe he’s just trying to be playful, you know. We’re graduating soon. You're gonna miss him when we go to Manila.” 

“You’re right.”

Doyoung hands him a paper bag full of bread.

Jaehyun doesn’t really want to think about leaving yet when there’s so much to be done before graduation. Frankly, he wants to spend more time in their town, with his little brother, his friends, with _him_. Even if they get into the same university, one way or another, things will change and Jaehyun really doesn’t want to think about those yet. Out of sight out of mind.

Doyoung catches the worry on his face, “We’re gonna get into UP, Jaehyun. Stop worrying about it.” 

“That’s not what I was thinking about.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

“Hmm. Okay. I’ll fetch you at 7:20?” Doyoung asks, sipping his black coffee. Jaehyun grimaces at the sight.

“Sure. Thanks again. Tell tita I said hi!”

🎓

  
  


Jaehyun catches the sight of Doyoung in his pressed uniform and well-shined shoes carrying his shoulder bag in front of his house. They’ve always gone to school together since elementary, walking from their homes to their school which was only a few blocks away. When they entered high school and Winwin and Ten came into their lives, the four of them never went to their school separately anymore, rather they would always ride the jeepney to get into their classes.

One day, 3 years ago, Doyoung was also standing in the patch of dirt beside their gate, looking so pretty in such early hours in the morning. That moment was the first time Jaehyun realized he’s in love with his best friend. The only difference is that back then Doyoung was stuffing his face with his favorite ensaymada and Jaehyun pointed out a rogue cheese stuck on his cheek. He chuckles at the memory.

“You look awfully cheerful today?”

“It’s a nice morning Doyoung. The sun is out, we’re not running late and Winwin is nowhere in sight!” Jaehyun spreads his arms dramatically to prove his point.

“Well, I hope your morning is still nice because—”

“JAEHYUN! JAEHYUN! JAEHYUN!” Jaehyun looks behind him and sees Winwin running towards them.

“OUR BELOVED CLASS PRESIDENT, DOYOUNG!” Winwin bows.

“Shit, I jinxed it!” Doyoung only chuckles at Jaehyun’s despair.

Winwin gets between the two and wraps his arms around them. “Guess what day it is today?” 

Doyoung indulges him. ‘What?”

“It’s Arroz Caldo Day in the canteen!” Winwin shouts.

“You’re right. Let’s go there during lunch break, yeah?” Doyoung suggests.

“ YES!” 

“Winwin the children are still sleeping, keep your voice down.” 

“Hey, there’s Ten! CHITTAPHON! IT’S ARROZ CALDO DAY!” Winwin runs to an unassuming, and sleepy Ten.

Doyoung and Jaehyun only smile at their overzealous friend. 

Here’s the worst part in commuting to school. Early mornings guarantee squeezing yourself into tiny spaces of the jeepneys. You don’t get to be picky because you can either suck it up or wait for the other—spacious—ones to arrive and by that point, the traffic will be terrible and your first-period teacher is already locking the door of your rooms.

Jaehyun reminds himself that he should be grateful. At least he has a seat and is not standing on the open door like the two students right now. But a drooling winwin is currently sleeping on his shoulder. He should’ve let Doyoung go in first because what is supposed to be Doyoung’s seat next to him is not occupied by his drooling friend.

Opposite him sits a sleepy Ten who’s hugging his backpack and swaying his head in drowsiness at Doyoung’s direction. It’s been 15 minutes and they still have approximately another 15 more before they arrive at their high school. Doyoung has his earphones in and is looking outside his window. 

Jaehyun wonders if they’ll ever get to experience having morning trips like this when they go to college. As he feel the dampness of his polo because of Winwin’s drool, sees Ten’s head knock into the person beside him and promptly followed by an “I’m sorry” and as he looks at Doyoung and a sees his bangs sway across his face, the ghost of freckles in his cheeks, his bag firmly placed in his lap, and his eyes glossy from the morning mist, Jaehyun thinks he’s not ready to let this go just yet. 

But Doyoung turns his head and catches Jaehyun’s gaze and just smiles. He sees his situation with Winwin and chuckles, his gums showing. Jaehyun loves that smile. 

“Are you okay?” Doyoung asks.

Jaehyun feels the rapid beating of his heart and the weight of his feelings stuck in his throat. If he doesn’t do anything about it, he thinks he might not be able to breathe anymore.

Jaehyun will confess, later. He reminds himself.

“Yeah.”

🎓

  
  
  


The clock shows 11:30 am. Jaehyun's eyes follow the movement of the hand. Jaehyun frowns at the glitchy clockwise motion. Its batteries had already been replaced thrice within the last month. He has always been fascinated with the clock. Mainly because its time is always wrong no matter the attempts of the school janitor to tinker with it. The interior of the clock shows the crucifixion of Christ. He thinks that it's odd to have a clock that shows Jesus Christ but at the same time never show that correct time.

One of Jaehyun's favorite past-times is to look at the expression of students whenever they see the wall clock. His seat is on the front, left most side the class. This gives him a great vantage point to secretly look at how his classmates, and other students outside of his section who pass by, react to the clock.

If Jaehyun is to be honest, he didn't really pick his seat. He was actually pretty bummed at first when the class president, Doyoung, announced that the adviser required him to make a random, permanent seat plan. He's in his last year of senior high school. He thought the teachers would give them a taste of freedom. Guess not.

Jaehyun fights the urge to yawn. Even if every fiber of his being is screaming at him to do so. Sir Cruz has been blabbing about his experience in Portugal instead of discussing History. The teacher relishes the time he got food poisoned, got lost in the streets, and got nearly mugged. Jaehyun usually indulges his teacher’s life story narrations but they only have a few weeks before permanently leaving this shitty school, he’d rather spend it relaxing rather than sit through his boring Portugal escapades retellings.

Jaehyun discreetly looks behind his shoulder. Two of her female classmates are obviously browsing through their phones, they're hiding behind a textbook, four of his male classmates seated at the back are dozing off, Ten is doodling on his notebook, while he sees Kun nod to every word of the Teacher. Jaehyun scoffs. He tries looking out the window on his left and witnesses a teacher scolding a student outside of the infirmary, a group of loud girls getting out of the communal bathroom of their building, and a cat minding its own business under a mango tree.

He inevitably lets his focus go back to his tattered armchair. An assortment of colorful, inappropriate words and oddly specific drawings littering the old wood. 

"Selina loves _ _ _ _ _ _g" says one of the vandals. Jaehyun laughs at the stupidity of the text but also thinks about how gutsy it is for Selina to write a confession, no matter how half-assed, where everyone can see it. 

Speaking of confession. 

His eyes travel to the opposite side of the classroom where the president sits. Unlike Jaehyun whose posture could make his mother drag him to the doctor, his is proper. The president's uniform looks perfectly ironed, his hair falls immaculately, and his books are nicely stacked on his desk. Jaehyun gives himself a few minutes to be hypnotized by his classmate's handsomeness. He realizes he has spent so much time thinking about Doyoung. He needs to stop staring at him before anyone catches the act. 

He sighs.

He hears the faulty clock tick.

_4 minutes_

The teacher is still talking about a woman he met on his trip.

He sees the boy gather his pens. Cute.

_3 minutes_

One of the girls accidentally clicked on a video and for a second the classroom is filled with a song in a language Jaehyun doesn't understand.

The boy drinks water from his water bottle. Jaehyun could buy him all the cold water in the campus if he asked.

_2 minutes_

Winwin who is seated at his back is nudging him. He doesn't pay attention.

The boy is looking at his nails. Jaehyun bets they’re neatly manicured. Jaehyun really really wants to hold that hand.

_1 minute_

"Mr. Jeong, can you share with the class what's so engrossing about Mr. Kim that has gotten your full attention on him instead of my discussion?" He didn't notice that Sir Cruz is already towering over him.

He could see Doyoung smile on the opposite side of the room.

Before he could react, the bell rings. 

🎓

Jaehyun leaves his desk without tidying up the clutter. He can go back to it later. He speeds his way to the door where Doyoung is waiting for him.

"Button up your polo Jae. Miss Monteyamor will see you and I don't want to be around to hear you get scolded." Doyoung is looking at his shoes, his hands shoved on each of his pockets.

Jaehyun catches his breath. He feels his ears burning.

"You don't mind what happened right? Cruz was just being his usual asshole self," Jaehyun points out.

Both take the stairs alongside a couple of other seniors who are also on their break.

Doyoung frowns at his remark. 

"Your mouth will get you into trouble someday and I already know I'll be some sort of accomplice because of whatever stupidity I'll hear you say." 

"Oh right. I forgot. Sorry, Mr. President," Jaehyun jokes.

"Fuck off."

The pair eye the two remaining tables left in the open cafeteria. They need to get a table first before all the hungry students steal the vacancies away. Fortunately, Doyoung walks faster than any normal functioning human being and satisfyingly grabs dibs for one of the stools.

"Where are Winwin and Ten?" Doyoung moves his body to see what the lady is cooking behind the counter. Arroz Caldo is what's written on the Today's Menu board.

"Probably in the CR. I don't know. They'll turn up eventually. Winwin loves Arroz Caldo, didn’t you see how excited he was earlier? He’s not gonna waste his chance for one bowl," Jaehyun replies.

"I'll get our orders. I'll be back," Doyoung states.

Speaking of the two, Winwin and Ten come panting to their table, their bags haphazardly slung on their backs.

"Thank God for Arroz Caldo!" Winwin exclaims.

"Calm down tiger. Doyoung's on it." Jaehyun reassures, offering him a seat.

"Two eggs?" Winwin adds.

Ten snorts.

"You bet," Jaehyun replies.

"Jae. As much as I enjoyed your humiliation earlier, you really got to step up your game, man. Graduation is in 3 weeks. When are you gonna tell him?" Ten asks.

Winwin, unable to hide his excitement, goes to Doyoung and buys soft drinks for the four of them.

"Can you lower down your voice? He might hear!" Jaehyun panics.

Ten only looks at him in disbelief. "For Christ's sake. Jae, anyone with two working eyeballs can attest to your undying love for that guy. The fact that Doyoung doesn't have the faintest idea could easily be one of the unsolved mysteries of the world." 

Winwin comes back with 3 cokes and 1 sprite. Ten takes a sip of the sprite and continues, "You should thank me if Doyoung hears. It's about damn time."

Jaehyun takes a deep breath.

"I'm actually doing it today or later. Cut me some slack. You're not the one who's been in love with your best friend since elementary school. It doesn't get easier with time!" Jaehyun laments.

"What doesn't get easier with time?" Doyoung appears with 4 piping hot bowls of porridge with eggs. Included in the tray are chili oil and pepper because Jaehyun loves stuffing his bowl with pepper and coloring the porridge blood red with chili oil.

"UPCAT results," Jaehyun shouts.

"Waiting for UPCAT results," Ten clarifies.

"Oh shit. Right, I heard they're coming out after graduation," Doyoung states.

"You don't need to worry about it. You'll get in for sure," Jaehyun smiles at him. He knows the abilities of his best friend and if anyone deserves to get into UP, it's him.

Doyoung tries to hide a grin. Ten pushes back the urge to roll his eyes. Winwin, on the other hand, is blissfully floating on his porridge cloud nine.

🎓

It's one of those afternoons where the teacher in charge is out on a meeting and the students have the hour to do whatever they want. Times like these are occurring more often because they're graduating in less than a month, most teachers have opted for submitting projects rather than conducting final examinations. The atmosphere is relatively relaxed except for the uncomfortable heat of the upcoming summer. 

Most of his classmates are napping while others are in clusters playing games. Some girls are chattering and watching videos on their phones. In their corner, Kun plays his guitar while Ten sings. Winwin is currently benefiting a nap from their satisfying Arroz Caldo lunch.

Jaehyun currently sits beside a sleepy Doyoung. Jaehyun has his feet propped up on a desk, and his body slumped on his chair, his head facing the ceiling fans. 

"It's so hot," he complains.

Doyoung whose head is slumped on his desk but is still facing Jaehyun’s direction replies, " It's always hot. What do you mean?"

"I want to take off my clothes and jump on a freezing lake." 

"Jokes on you but we don't have freezing lakes."

"A man can dream." 

Doyoung pushes his face into his arms and sighs.

"What is Kun playing?" Doyoung mumbles. Jaehyun takes his feet off the chair and faces Kun. "It’s With A Smile, man. My favorite song?" he replies back. 

"I know it’s your favorite. I was just making sure.” He pauses. " Is he trying to teach Ten how to play again? Tell him to give up, he's hopeless," Doyoung murmurs. 

"Don't say that. Did you know Ten's actually good but he acts like he's a beginner because he likes Kun." Jaehyun smirks at the thought. "You didn't know, did you?"

Doyoung's head snaps forward. "Are you kidding me?" 

"Everyone here knows those two are flirting with each other. Don't tell me you really had no idea?"

"But I thought Ten just likes to mess with Kun?"

"At first, but Kun is a really kind guy. Maybe Ten likes nice guys."

"Wow, there's really so much going on that I don't know huh?" Doyoung huffs.

Winwin, who Jaehyun thought is sleeping, slaps him on the back. "Tell him," Winwin whispers.

"Go back to sleep, idiot!" Jaehyun retaliates.

"What is that?" Doyoung asks.

Jaehyun tries to hide his nervousness with a smile. "Nothing!"

Another teacher arrives after 30 minutes, signaling the start of their last class of the day. The students clamor back from their own business to their respective seats. Kun places his guitar back on its case. Jaehyun gently pats a napping Doyoung. He doesn't bother waking Winwin up.

  
  


🎓

  
  


"I want turon!" Ten announces. He's sitting under the chalkboard, playing one of Eraserheads’ songs on Kun's guitar.

"Me too!" Winwin, who's wiping the windows seconds Ten's statement.

During the 1st day of the school year, Doyoung conducted a poll on how the students want to arrange the cleaning duties every day. Someone suggested they group together the students who live nearby each other or those who go home together. In Jaehyun's case, he ended up cleaning their homeroom every Friday with Doyoung, Winwin, and Ten, whom he goes home with. 

It's usually Jaehyun who’s mopping the floors but he couldn’t find the mop they usually use so Doyoung volunteered to ask the Janitor for a spare one. 

"I can't believe we're graduating so soon," Ten who's half lying-half sitting while clutching Kun's guitar abruptly says.

Jaehyun stops wiping the board.

"I know right? Do you guys think we'll get into UP? Because I'm sure my mom will kill me if I don't," says Winwin who's still busy with the windows.

"Eh. We tried our best and just for anyone's peace of mind, I think we'll get in but if we don't Doyoung will. I’m 100% sure," Ten answers, smiling.

"Aren't you guys scared?" Jaehyun asks, fixing his attention on the specks of chalk dust floating in front of him.

"Of what?" Ten and Winwin both cue in.

"Of graduating, college, leaving, growing up, change?"

Ten settles the guitar beside him and stands up. Winwin on the other hand leans his back on the wall beside the windows. Their faces sporting a knowing smile.

"Ah, our dear Jaehyunie, always the worrywart," Ten jokes.

"Just say you're gonna miss us and be done with it Jaehyunah." 

Jaehyun feels his cheeks heat up with their statements.

"It's not that, you assholes. I'm just thinking, you know, what if college changes us. What if we don't get to see each other anymore when we leave for the city? What if we start to forget?" Jaehyun goes to one of the seats.

“We don’t know what the future will bring us. Heck, I don’t even know what I’m doing tomorrow. But, I know, no matter where I’ll end up, you guys will always be my best friends,” Ten says, smiling, He pats off the dust on his pants and walks toward Jaehyun.

“I don’t usually like thinking ahead. Give me the heebie-jeebies but I’ve come to realize that growing up doesn’t have to mean forgetting, Jaehyun.”

“Leaving is such a scary thought, you know. I don’t think I can leave all of it behind yet,” Jaehyun remarks.

“Then, let’s not. We have a few weeks before graduation and we have the whole summer for ourselves, no?” Winwin pipes in.

“Ah. You guys are right. I don’t know what’s gotten into me lately.” Jaehyun scrunches his nose and awkwardly laughs.

Ten clasps his hands. “So, when is the big confession happening? You told us you’re doing it today. We’re about to go home. Tick tock?”

“I already reminded him earlier but he just slapped me! What an ungrateful heathen,” Winwin laments.

Doyoung walks in with a mop in tow, a face sporting an adorable frown, and with a few spider webs decorating his hair.

“Dude, what happened to you?” Ten asks, snickering. Winwin flat out shrieked.

“I had to get a spare one on the supply closet. It's not very pleasant there.” 

Jaehyun went to Doyoung and rubbed the dirt in his face with his thumbs. 

“I told you, I should’ve just gotten it myself,” Jaehyun reminds him.

“Really huh” Doyoung collects some of the cobwebs in his hair and places them on Jaehyun’s head. Doyoung snickers at him.

“Alright. Now we’re even.”

  
  
  


🎓

  
  


The 4:30 pm Jeepney rides are a little more bearable compared to the early morning ones. Most of the passengers are teenagers like themselves busily chattering about their day. The heat of the sun is coming down from its peak, leaving the four of them in sweat and sticky uniforms. 

Doyoung has his head on Jaehyun’s shoulder. He’s been napping between class breaks. He’s probably exhausted from his duties as president. One might think, being class president doesn’t amount to much but Doyoung is Doyoung, and that means putting all of his efforts into whatever task the teachers give him. Jaehyun’s arm is holding onto the metal bars on the ceiling of the jeep to support them from falling in case the driver suddenly hits the break too hard while his other arm is wrapped gently around his sleeping best friend. 

Jaehyun feels his clothes stick to his body. He’s probably smelling a little like dust, old storage rooms, and chicken porridge but there is a certain comfort that comes with the weight of your best friend on your shoulder, the sound of his gentle breaths that you can feel in your neck. He surveys the top of Doyoung’s head for a second and decides to nap as well. He closes his eyes and reels in the feeling, even if their position is not the most comfortable. But not even a few minutes later, he hears someone clear their throat.

He opens his eyes to Winwin and Ten’s pointed looks. 

“Tick tock, Jae.”

🎓

  
  


The plaza of their town is always so lively during the sunset. A plethora of street food vendors are lined up on the sidewalks in front of the town covered courts, selling cheap but warm fried foods like fish balls, squidballs, one day olds, quailed eggs. The cotton candy vendor is rigorously weaving thin threads of the sickly sweet treat while the barbeque stall just beside the internet cafe is cooking up its skewers. The Church bell is about to ring in 5 minutes to remind the people of the routine afternoon/ pre evening rosary.

In the middle of the commotion, among the laughter of the aunts, before they make dinner for their families, the sound of children running and playing, the shouts coming from the current basketball match in the court, Jaehyun, Doyoung, Winwin, and Ten are chewing on their Turon.

The three of them have their uniforms unbuttoned except for Doyoung. Ten has a giant plastic cup of buko juice on his other hand waiting to be drunk. Jaehyun can hear Winwin animatedly talk about his dog’s new habit of chewing on his shoes but all Jaehyun could think about is the confession that’s threatening to jump from his lips.

“Doyoung, do you want more buko juice?” Jaehyun asks.

“Yeah. I was about to ask you the same thing. Winwin do you want more too?”

“Yeah! I’ll come to buy with you!” 

“No, he won’t! Winwin, I was just about to tell you a story about Louis and Leon. Let Dons and Jae buy your drink hmm?” Ten immediately butt ins. 

“Oh alright, let’s go Jaehyunnie.” Doyoung only shrugs.

Jaehyun lets Doyoung walk away first, giving Ten a secret smile of gratitude.

“So uhm. I wanted to tell you something,” Jaehyun starts.

Doyoung continues to munch on his Turon. Jaehyun sees some bits stuck near his lips. Everything about his best friend screams tidiness except when he eats his favorite foods. 

“Wait. You have something on your face.”

“Oh crap, where?” Doyoung fumbles on his cheeks.

“Here let me.” Jaehyun takes Doyoung’s hand from his cheeks, gets his handkerchief from his pants, and wipes the Turon bits off his best friend’s face.

“You’re such a mess when you eat your snacks, do you know that.” Jaehyun smiles. Doyoung would usually counter his accusation and present his argument, that he is in fact not a messy eater, but right now all he does is smile and Jaehyun really does want to stop the clock. He wants to freeze the time and hold on to this, this moment, with his hands on Doyoung’s cheeks, their Buko Juice waiting on the countertop, Ten scolding Winwin on their spot behind the kiddie slides on the mini playground, the children still squealing as they play tag, the sun casting a blue hue to the sky as it says its goodbye. 

Jaehyun takes the biggest inhale known on mankind and finally says “Doyoung, I—“ 

“Hello. It’ll be 20 pesos,” the kid manning the buko juice stand awkwardly pipes in.

Jaehyun retracts his hands so fast that the handkerchief fell on the ground. Doyoung laughs and apologizes while reaching for his wallet to pay for the drink.

“Jaehyunnie, you were saying something?”

“I… I wanted to ask if you were still gonna eat your turon hahaha,” Jaehyun wants to evaporate.

Doyoung even looks offended by the question “Hell no. Buy more if you still want some. This is mine.”

Doyoung gets the buko juices and heads back to their friends.

Jaehyun is a really really polite boy but he has never wanted to fight a child so badly in his life.

  
  
  


🎓

  
  


Jaehyun finishes eating dinner at 7:30 pm and decides to hang out with Jisung in their living room. Jisung is poking his legs while watching his anime. 

“Jisung, don’t be annoying.”

“I’m not doing anything!” He continues to poke his legs.

Jaehyun just sighs and dials Ten. “This is the worst day of my life, man,” he laments to his friend.

Jisung upon hearing his brother complain, stops his poking feat.

“You chickened out?” Ten eggs on.

“Shut up. I tried waiting for the perfect moment but ugh. Maybe, the timing is still isn’t right.”

“You’ve been saying this for the past 5 years you stupid airhead.”

“Hey! It’s not like I wanted this? Do you know how difficult it is to look at his stupidly handsome face and pretend like I’m not ready to give my life for him?” 

Ten replies with a boisterous laugh. 

“What the fuck is wrong with you man? I’m legit having a Doyoung crisis right now!”

“And when are you not?”

Jisung begins rapidly hitting his leg. 

“Jisung go away.—

—Anyway, as I was saying”

Jisung doesn’t stop.

“Jisung you can have my ice cream bar just please stop annoying—“

“HYUNG! Don’t you hear that?” Jisung walks to the window.

“What is it?”

“I think someone’s shouting your name on the porch.”

“Huh? Who?” Jaehyun stands from the sofa and walks, opens the front door, and sees Doyoung with a guitar.

“Ten. I’m gonna have to call you back.”

“Holy shit did Doyoung go to your house? What the heck? Give the phone to Jis—“ Jaehyun ends the call and steps off his house.

A pajama-clad Doyoung is standing in front of their porch. Jaehyun’s a little confused because his best friend is holding what seems to be a guitar. He never knew Doyoung could play one.

“Jisung, go back inside.” 

“Ah, hyung no!” Jisung whines.

“Jisung, what have we talked about giving your brother his privacy and space?” Jaehyun’s mom walks to the door and drags a groaning Jisung.

“Hello, tita.” Doyoung greets his mom.

“Hello, Doyoung. Don’t worry about this little rascal. We’ll go back inside. You and Jaehyun can talk.

“Mom!” Jaehyun looks back to his embarrassing mother.

“We’re going. We’re going!” Jaehyun hears the click of the door being shut and Jisung’s complaints fading in the background.

“Uhm. What are you doing here?” He asks.

He sees Doyoung visibly gulp and take a long breath.

“I uhm. I’m not very good with words, except when it comes to debate. And I’ve been meaning to tell you how I feel since the start of the year but I keep on failing to form the right words to describe this feeling. So uhm, when Ten asked Kun to teach him guitar, I also got the idea to learn how to play uhm play your favorite song.”

Jaehyun wants to melt on the spot. Doyoung looks incredibly adorable in his pajamas and green guitar.

“God. This is embarrassing. Well. It’s now or never so.”

Doyoung awkwardly shifts in his position and starts—

_“Lift your head. Baby don’t be scared…”_

Jaehyun feels his heartbeat pick up. It’s _with a smile._

_“Of the things that could go wrong along the way. You’ll get by with a smile…”_ Jaehyun grins.

Doyoung looks at him, determination seeping from his gaze. Jaehyun wants to bask in his presence. He only wants Doyoung to look at him, just him. 

“ _Baby, you don't have to worry 'cause there ain't no need to hurry. No one ever said that there's an easy way”_

It’s as if Doyoung plucked out all the hesitations and anxiety looming in Jaehyun’s head, laid it in front of him, only to blow them all away. 

_“When they're closing all their doors. They don't want you anymore. This sounds funny but I'll say it anyway”_ Doyoung finishes playing the last chords.

Jaehyun is still stuck in his position, unable to move.

“I’m sorry. I wasn’t able to finish the whole song. I stayed up all night practicing but I mean I just felt it you know. I needed to do this now. And I just. What I want to say is that—"

“Hey best friend,” Jaehyun begins.

“What?”

“I love you.” Jaehyun’s certain that his cheeks and ears are burning red right now, his dimples are probably on display because of the smile he can’t control.

“I loved you when we were in 2nd year and you snuck out of PE class to accompany me in the infirmary because of my nose bleed. I loved you when I was crying after the UPCAT and instead of eating out with your family, you decided to help me process my feelings in the swings. I loved you when you got mad at the class last week because the classroom was so untidy and you felt like you weren’t doing enough even though all of us in the room knew you were the best class president anyone could ever ask for. I probably loved you when you stepped on my toe in kindergarten.” 

Jaehyun walks toward his best friend, not letting his eyes leave Doyoung’s. Tick Tock.

“And every day I wake up, I see you in the front of my house, waiting for me so when can go to school together and I’m struck with this insurmountable desire to love you.” Jaehyun chuckles.

“Fucker. I was the one who’s supposed to confess! Not you!” Doyoung rests the guitar on the garden gnome statue and hugs the life out of his best friend.

“For a moment, I was afraid you wouldn’t feel the same way,” Doyoung confesses.

Jaehyun closes his eyes and lets himself melt in Doyoung’s embrace. 

“I thought I wouldn’t be able to say how much I love you, ever. Thank you for giving me the courage.” 

“We have the rest of college for ourselves, Jae. Please don’t be scared anymore. You’re my best friend. To infinity and beyond and all that shit, alright.” Doyoung jokes.

Jaehyun only laughs and hugs his best friend a little closer. He knows his mother and sibling are probably spying on them from the bedroom window, but he lets himself enjoy their moment for a while. It’s true that they have the rest of their high school, college, even the rest of their lives together but there is always the sweetness that comes with the mark of a beginning, of opening up yourself to a new chapter, to realizing that the impossible begins now and Doyoung with him with every step of the way.

Jaehyun’s looking forward to it.

🎓

In the near future, four sophomores are seen in UP’s Sunken Garden, on a Friday night eating dirty ice cream from their favorite vendor. Ten gets into Ateneo’s Fine Arts program. Winwin is thriving in UP Diliman’s Food Technology department. 

Doyoung chats with Winwin about his terror Law professor for one of his major classes, (of course he got into UP Pol Sci!!!). Jaehyun puts down his Chem notes for a while to brush Doyoung’s bangs away from his eyes. His hair is getting longer. He’ll remind him later about his overdue haircut. Jaehyun in the end gets into UP as well but decides to pursue health sciences in Ateneo.

Jaehyun is still scared, college is a whole new reality that no one really prepares you for. But tonight, he’s with his best friends, and they're enjoying their favorite ice cream. He’ll deal with all of his university and (metaphorical) baggage later. For now, he teases Winwin about his newfound crush in the form of a Japanese exchange student. 

Jaehyun looks at his friends. There are a lot of things happening outside their little bubble. The clock continues to tick. The most fascinating thing about youth is that you never really know the exact moment you transition from being a child to a full-fledged adult. The clock doesn’t really give you the convenience to pause and reflect. But, somewhere in the gray, the colorful hues of youth is bursting. Perhaps, it never stops, and even 2 years, 6 years, or 10 years after high school graduation, the colors of their youth are still there, even if it slowly fades, maybe it dims, overshadowed by fatigue, of time, but forever a pastel-like complexion stays with them. A luster that will never not shine. 

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> song mentioned is with a smile - eraserheads  
> *sorry for any mistakes lol i get anxious when I re-read my work so editing is such a tedious task for me... ksakask* (I'm also still trying to improve my writing 🤞🏽)
> 
> this was in my docs for quite a while so I decided to just finish it (and so I can have an excuse to ignore my schoolwork lol)  
> thank you so much for reading! and as always I would love to know what you think in the comments :)
> 
> twt: neyowculture


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